Ian Lyons

Why Wheaton? I really like the liberal arts experience. Despite the fact that my studies are quite concentrated in three areas, I’ve been able to use the connections program to take math – calculus as a second-semester senior, for example (my friends think I’m insane) – and science courses. That said, though, I love the fact that I was able to prepare myself with basic language courses and then spend a full year abroad becoming fluent. The love of languages has been the greatest gift that Wheaton has given me.

Foosball anyone? I live off campus this year and one of my roommates decided to bring a Foosball table. After getting blisters – seriously – for the first couple of weeks, I’ve risen to the top of the food chain in the apartment. I actually just finished beating one of them.

Arrivederci! After spending the first semester of my year abroad in Florence, I felt that it was a touch too international and not “Italian” enough for my taste, so I transferred to a program in Perugia, which is a beautiful, walled Etruscan city in the heart of Umbria. The Center for Global Education was unbelievably lenient — despite the fact that I asked to transfer well past the deadline – and I ended up in a situation where I made a great, close group of Italian and ex-pat American friends (and one Greek) and managed to both improve my Italian and make some memories that I will never lose.

About a week after graduation, I will travel back to Perugia to work, live, and continue to study at the Università degli Studi di Perugia. I couldn’t be happier!